BY TONY HOSS
I know that some teach that babies and young children are saved by faith and others by the grace of God. Can you please explain how children are saved?
The Bible is very plain concerning salvation for humanity. As one turns to the Word of God it is evident that babies and young children cannot be saved by faith because they do not yet have the ability or capability to believe. The Bible teaches us that one must be able to understand that they are living in sin. James teaches in chapter 1, that one must be a doer of the Word, but the young do not have that ability. People must also believe that Jesus is the son of God and that He died on the cross and shed his blood for our salvation; this is what Peter affirmed in (Matthew 16:16). We also learn in James 2:20, that faith without works is dead; therefore our faith must be an active and working faith; this is something that the young cannot do. There are some who teach that babies and children have faith that saves them. This cannot be true. If it were true that the very young had faith, we would have to admit that their faith is a dead faith (James 2:20) and thus cannot save. We should also remember that James says that even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). Then James concludes that no one can be justified by faith only (James 2:24). This would be the case for the young if they had some type of faith.
Next we must see that there is no reason for babies to be saved, because they already live in a safe state. According to Isaiah 59:2, sin is the act that separates us from God. John teaches in 1 John 2:15 that sin involves lawless deeds. We must conclude that since babies and the very young do not have the capacity to do lawless deeds, they are living in a saved state for they have no sins. Until a person reaches the age where they know right from wrong they cannot sin.
It is interesting that Jesus teaches in Matthew 19:13-15, that the very young are innocent. He is showing that they are sinless and then states that His kingdom is made up of such individuals. Since they are sinless they are guiltless and have no need of salvation.
However, we know that Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Are you a Child of God saved by the blood of Christ? If not, you can be by hearing the Word of God, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, repenting of sin, confessing Jesus is the Son of God and being baptized into the body of Christ.
(Tony Hoss is minister at Centerview Church of Christ, Elizabethton. He can be contacted at 737-2287 or by email at CenterviewCOC@comcast.net)